名词解释 英美概况

Blues refers to a type of slow, sad music from the southern US, from the cit of New Orleans. The Blues is derived from a blend of field chantey and spiritual--- a form of hymn singing prevalent in African-American Christian churches. The tradition of the vocal ballad usually accompanied by a guitar, it also contributed to the blues form. The music of the blues has a peculiar sadness. The lyrics of the blues pieces are sardonic filled with wry, self-deprecating humor. Super Bowl is the final match of professional American Football competition, which decides the champion team for the year. Yellowstone National Park is the oldest and one of the largest national parks in the US. It is named after the Yellowstone River that flows through the area. It is known for its geysers and hot springs among other natural wonders. Montgomery bus boycott In December 1955, Rosa Parks, a NAACP member in Montgomery Alabama, refused to give up her seat to a white man on a public bus. Mrs. Parks was arrested. Local blacks leaders decided to boycott the city’s bus system refusing to ride on public buses. With the aid of a 1956 Supreme Court decision, Montgomery blacks triumphed. The boycott was believed to be the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement of the1960s. Counterculture In the wake of the Free Speech Movement and the New Left, there appeared a counterculture movement which rejected capitalism other American principles. Affirmative Action Programs were first advocated b some colleges in the 1960. The purpose of the programs was to equalize educational opportunities for all groups and to make up for past inequality by giving special preference to members of minorities seeking jobs or admission to college. Three Faiths in the US American were considered to come in three basic varieties: Protestant, Catholic and Jewish. The Bill of Rights consists of the first 10 amendments which were added to the Constitution in 1791, which guarantees freedom and individual rights such as freedom of speech, the right to assemble in public places, the right to own weapons and so on. Puritanism Puritans were those who followed the doctrine of John Calvin and wanted to purify the Church of England. They believe that human beings were predestined by God before they were born. Some were God’s chosen people while others were damned to hell. No church nr good works could save people. The sign of being God’s select was the success in his work or the prosperity in his calling. They also argued that everyone must read the Bible in order to find God’s will and establish a direct contact with God. These beliefs had great impact on American culture. Benjamin Franklin was one of the founding fathers of the United States of America. He participated in writing the Declaration of Independence and making the US constitution. The Bill of Right of 1689 In 1688, King James II’s daughter Mar and her husband William were invited b the politicians and church authorities to take the throne, on condition that they would respect the rights of Parliament. The Bill of Rights was passed in 1689 to ensure that the King would never be able to ignore Parliament. The Commonwealth In the author’s opinion, the Commonwealth is a voluntary association of states which is made up of former British colonies. There are 50 members of the Commonwealth: many of these are developing counties like India and Cyprus; others are developed nations like Australia, Canada and New Zealand. The Commonwealth was set up as a forum for continued cooperation and as a sort of support network. The Times began publishing in 1785 and it is the United Kingdom’s oldest daily newspaper. The three traditions of Christmas in Britain One is the Christmas Pantomime, a comical musical play. The main male character is played by a young woman while the main female character, often an ugly woman called “The Dame”, is played by a man. Another British Christmas tradition is to hear the Queen give her Christmas message to her realm over the television and radio. A third British tradition is Boxing Day, which falls on the day after Christmas. Traditionally, it was on Boxing Day that people gave Christmas gifts or money to their staff or servants. Now that most British people do not have servant, this custom is no loner observed. However, a new Boxing Day custom has emerged, in the cities: shopping. Shops open up to sell off all their Christmas stock decorations, food, cards, and gift items at low prices. George Washington was one of the founding fathers of the American Public. He was the Commander-in- Chief of the Continental Army in the War of Independence against the British colonial rule and the first president of the United States. Martin Luther King. Jr. A black Baptist minister, he was the leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the civil rights movement of the 1960s. To promote his philosophy of nonviolent protest against segregation and other kinds of social injustice, King organized a series of “marches”, including the march on Washington of August, 1963, when King delivered his famous “I have a dream”speech. As a civil rights leader, King worked not only to end racial discrimination and poverty, but also to raise the self images of the Blacks. Due to his strong belief in non-violent peaceful protest, King was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. he was assassinated in the city of Memphis in April 1968. The Protestant Reformation a.It was a religious reform movement that started in 1517, when the German monk Martin Luther posted for debate a series of theses that challenged Roman Catholic teaching. b.Those who separated themselves from Catholic Church were called Protestants. c.Most of the Protestants stress the Bible as the source and the norm of teaching instead of the Pope as the source of authority. The separation of powers Influenced by Montesquieu’s theory of division of powers, the US constitution ruled that political power between legislature, executive, and judicial authorities, and that these authorities should exercise checks against each other. Child-centered culture a.Americans are so devoted and permissive toward their children that they create a child-centered culture. b.The ambitions of parents are more often related to their children’s lives than to their own. c.American parents try to give their youngsters many opportunities to develop skills and worthwhile interests. d.During the summer, parents try to give their children other kinds of learning experiences through camping or travel. The Glorious Revolution a.It refers to the event of 1688 in the English revolution, when the Catholic King James II was forced to flee with his baby son to France. b.The throne was offered to his protestant daughter and her husband Dutch king William c.The Bill of Rights was passed by Parliament to restrict the power of the monarchy. d.This was the beginning of the Constitutional Monarchy in Britain. The Ku Klux Klan a.After the civil war, some southern whites formed the Ku Klux Klan. b.It was a violent secret society that hoped to protect white interests and advantages by terrorizing blacks and prevent them from making social advances. c.By 1872, the federal government had suppressed the Klan, but it revived several times in later history. Progressive Movement a.It was a movement in early 20th century to reform society and individuals through government action. b.It was primarily a movement of social engineers who believed that scientific and cost-efficient solutions could be found to all political problems. Pioneering Spirit a.In the middle-nineteenth century, it was this pioneering spirit that led American settlers to travel westward by the thousands in search of land and gold. b.It is still an important part of the American character. c.Today, northerners and Midwesterners are attracted to the west because of good business opportunities and mild climate. The British Constitution Britain has no written Constitution. The foundations of the British state are laid out in statute law, which are laws passed by parliament; the common law, which are laws established through common practice in the courts, and conventions. The House of Common is the real centre of British political life because it is the place where about 650 elected representatives (members of Parliament) make and debate policy. These MPs are elected in the General election and should represent the interests of the people who vote for them. WASP stands for “white Anglo-Saxon protestant”, the main stream culture of the U.S.. The Pilgrims a.In England, there had been a group of people called Puritans who had broken away from the Church of England and formed their own churches. Later they fled to Holland to escape the persecution in their native land. b.Several years passed when they were again threatened by religious suppression, they thought of moving, and this time to America. c.They began to call them Pilgrims because of their wanderings in search of religious freedom. d.In 1620, they crossed the Atlantic in the ship Mayflower and settled at Plymouth, Massachusetts. Boston Tea Party a.In the years following the French and Indian War, British government enforced several acts which were bitterly opposed b colonists. b.In order to ease tensions, British government removed all the new taxes except that one tea. c.In 1773, a group of patriots responded to the tea tax b staging the Boston Tea Party. Disguised as Indians, the boarded British merchant ships and tossed 342 crates of tea into Boston harbor. d.British parliament then passed the “intolerable Acts”, and in response to this, the first Continental Congress was held in September 1774. Oliver Cromwell was the Roundhead leader during the English Civil War. He defeated King Charles and condemned him to death. The monarchy was overthrown, and the country became for more than ten years a republic. Indentured Servants They were free Englishman who contracted to work without pay for several years in return for their passage to America. Most of them worked in southern tobacco and rice plantations. Plymouth Colony It was the second English settlement in America. It was the Pilgrims who settled Plymouth Colony. Plymouth Harbor had once been an Indian village, which good conditions for fishing. The Pilgrims lived on Plymouth Rock setting up the Pilgrim village.